Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Seven Tips for CIOs and IT Managers in Egypt to Kick Off an Internet of Things (IoT) Initiative

Author: Colin
McCabe, Director, Consulting and Training, Red Hat

The
growing ecosystem of web-connected devices and platforms known as the Internet
of Things (IoT) has the potential to effect major changes in many industries,
including manufacturing, retail, and transportation. The IoT represents big
opportunities, and businesses need to know how make the most of it.

“Gartner,
Inc. forecasts that 6.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in
2016, up 30 percent from 2015, and will reach 20.8 billion by 2020. In 2016,
5.5 million new things will get connected every day.”[1]
This will likely include smart sensors for predictive maintenance, RFID tags in
retail to manage inventory, and intelligent gateways for real-time analysis and
decision making at the edge of the network.

The
rate at which organisations of all sizes and from all industries are finding
ways to make the IoT work for their business is astonishing. Even if it is
something as simple as creating a new smartphone app or inserting a monitoring
platform into an existing business system, companies can tap into the potential
this amazing ecosystem of devices offers.

Red
Hat recommends a seven-point check list for organisations in Egypt kicking off
their IoT journey:

1.Involve the right team(s). IoT planning should be a
cross-enterprise endeavour involving the IT department, various business
divisions, and all security operations teams.

Look for the greatest
value.
Define specific business objectives that can drive the greatest overall
benefit, such as improved operational efficiencies or better customer

3.Prioritize security. An IoT infrastructure can
increase an organisation’s potential attack surface, thanks to the connectivity
between devices and business systems. Companies should make sure security
planning needs are met before an IoT initiative is put into play.

4.Cloud compatibility. How will the IoT initiative
work in a cloud environment? This is important, as it is the cloud that will
often provide the scalable platform through which those connected devices will
be managed and operated, and provide a cost-effective solution for the volume
of data they generate.

5Cloud compatibility. How will the IoT initiative
work in a cloud environment? This is important, as it is the cloud that will
often provide the scalable platform through which those connected devices will
be managed and operated, and provide a cost-effective solution for the volume
of data they generate.

6.Maintenance. How will IoT devices be upgraded or
repaired? How will the data be managed effectively and ethically? Develop a
clear strategy for managing the IoT within the organisation.

7.Analyse the data. Businesses need to implement
a platform that can analyse the data from the IoT devices they have tapped
into, and act on that data at the right time.